Furnace construction.



S. D. OLIPHANT. Y FURNAGB CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 190B. 949,402, Y Patented Feb.15, 1910.

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STEPHEN I). OLIPHANT, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA.

FURNACE CONSTRUCTION.

Speoication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed July 10, 1908. Serial No. 442,862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN D. OLI- rHANT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beaver, in the count-y of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnace Construction, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention refers to improvements in furnace construction for fuel combustion, for supplying heat to boilers, heating or meltin furnaces, ovens, kilns, etc., and particular y relates to the construction and operation of the fuel supporting grates and the means for supplying air to the body of fuel.

Generally stated, the invention com rises a series of hollow air-furnishing fue supporting boxes communicating with a source of air supply, preferabl pre-heated, and having series of air sup y slots or fissures so arranged as lto distri ute the air to the fuel. Also the combination with said airfurnishing boxes of agitating or shaking grates when the said boxes are stationary, with means for operating said Crates, as well as means for mounting andD shaking all or some of the boxes themselves, when movable, with other features of construction as shall be more full hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the rawingsz--Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation of a furnace structure provided with my invention, partly broken, away. Fi V2 is a horizontal section on the lineII. I of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail View through the grates and boxes on the line III. III. of Fig. 2.

2 represents the furnace or re box chamber within the walls 3 of any desired structure, as a boiler setting, showing the boiler 4 in position.

A represents the hollow air boxes forming portions ofthe grate structure which may be stationary as in the principal gures of the drawing with the intervening shaking grates B, or which themselves may be rotatably mounted for shaking. When stationary, the box A is composed of a troughshaped main body portion having the sides 5, 5, and bottom 6 with the covering top 7 securelyf held in place by bolts 8 connecting the top with bottom 6 as shown. The inner upper edges of sides are preferably beveled as shown, while the edges of top 7 are similarly beveled to interit therewith, bearing at intervals along theirlength by lugs 9. Between the lugs 9 the edges are recessed, providing air slots l0 conforming in their du'ection to the slant of the beveled edges referred to, thereby directinr the escaping air upwardly and outwardIy at each side, and causing it to traverse angularly across the area of the grate bars B, as indicated by the arrows, Fi 3. The body )ortion of cover 7 is provi( ed with series of longitudinally arranged fissures or slots 1l, corresponding generally to the' slots 10 and preferably arranged throughout the entire length of the box covers, said fissures being preferably tapered upwardly and inwardly and termlnating in narrow emission slots, as clearly shown.

The inner ends of air boxes A are provided with shoulders at the sides and set in rectangular openings in the front wall of a common air supply box 12, as shown in Fig. 1, or otherwlse mounted so as to communicate with a common air flue, corresponding to box 12, the other or front ends of the air boxes A being mounted in supportin frames of any suitable construction, as angv es 13 set. in the front walls of the furnace chamber.' The lower flanve of angle, 13 is referably recessed and shouldered as indlcatedat L to receive and retain against lateral movement of boxes A when set therein, (Fig. 3).

'lhc shaking grates B in the constructionI shown in the principal figures of the drawings, are rotatably mounted by means of pivotin lugs l-l sup orted in receiving holes 1n the ront wall o box 12 and in the recesses or grooves 15 in the vertical wall of angle 13, by extending gudgeon bearings 1G, one of which projects outwardly to the front of the furnace chamber as shown in Fig. 2. Said extending gudgeon 16 is provided with any suitable actuating mechanism as a lever 17 and an operating rod 18, while it and the other grates are provided with levers 17 and connecting rod 18 ywithin the ash pit, by which construction all of the grate bars may be rocked to the right or the left simultaneously. If desired, the grates may be' connected by operating mechanism in separate sets, z'. c., the grates at either side of the center may be connected independently of those at the other side, thus providing for actuatng'but half of the grates at once.

This allows for maintaining the fire at one V side and shaking at the other or vice versa.

.Air is furnished to the common air chamber 12 by any suitable circulation tlues or pipes 19, preferably extending through the walls of the furnace structure so as to superheat the air, and if desired air may be furnished therethrough to the chamber 12 by blower 2O or other suitable pressure apparatus, preferably delivering air into a common header 1Q with which the pipes 19 connect. As thus constructed it will be seen that a copious supply of air will be furnished to the interior of the box A and from thence through the distributing slots 10 and l1 to the entire mass of fuel in combustion.

The boxes and also the gratos B may be readily removed or inserted separately' by merely lifting the front ends upwardly from their bearings in support 13 and withdrawing them outwardly from `the receiving openings in the front Wall of box 12, thereby obviating the necessity of removing the entire structure in case of any of the boxes or gratos being burned out or broken or requiring renewal or repair.

The advantages of the invention result in the complete combustion of the fuel due to the copious supply of previously heated air equally to all parts of the lire bed, the a i- 'tation of the fuel `and the shaking out oft e ashes, while the resultinfr advantages of even temperature, ready anl easy control, its adaptation to the burning of impure, cheap and line fuel, and its economy of installation and maintenance, contribute largely to its adaptation to many and various operations requiring heat. n

The invention may be greatly changed or modicd in construction or adaptation or in dierentdetails by the skilled mechanic, but all such changes are to be considered as Within the scope of the following claims 1What it claim is 1. In a furnace, the combination with a hollow supporting air box having alternately arranged grate connecting openings eaefioe and grate bearings, a series of air conductors extending through the brickwork of the furnace and opening thereinto and connected with a common air box header, said header, and means for furnishing air thereto; of a series of hollow grate boxes open at one end and inserted thereby into the openings of the supporting air box and closed at the other end, and having longitudinally slotted air openings, a transverse support for the closed ends of the grate boxes, and a series of alternating rocking `gratas rotatably mounted by their ends in the bearings of the air box and transverse support respectively, with means for actuating said gratos, substantially as set forth.

2. In a furnace, the combination with a hollow supporting lair box having alternately arranged grate connecting openings and grate bearings, a series of air conductors extending through the brickwork of the furnace and opening thereinto and con-- nected with a common air box header, said header, and means for furnishing air thereto; of a series of hollow grate boxes open at one end and inserted thereby into the openings of the supporting air box and closed at the other end, and having longitudinally slotted air o enings, a transverse support for the close ends of 'the grate boxes, and a series of alternating rocking gratas rotativel mounted by their ends in the bearings offtlbie air box and transverse support respectively, said grates v,having rocking levers and an operating connecting rod located within the furnace cavity, and means for actuating oneof said gratos from the outside, substantially as set forth.

In testimon whereof I affix my signature in presence o two Witnesses.

STEPHEN 1). OLIPHANT.

"Witnesses: i

C. M. CLARKE,

CHAs. S. LEPLEY. 

